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MPBL names Coach of the Year award after Badolato

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Famed San Beda Red Cubs coach Edmundo " ato="" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/12/22/beda.jpg"/><figcaption>Famed San Beda Red Cubs coach Edmundo &quot;Ato&quot; Badolato (left) during the Fr. Martin Cup in 2014. File photo</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- The Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) on Wednesday announced that it will honor the legacy of legendary basketball coach Edmundo &quot;Ato&quot; Badolato by naming its Coach of the Year award after him.The &quot;Ato Badolato Coach of the Year&quot; award will be given to the head coach of the champion team of the season or tournament. The finals of the 2021 Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational Tournament will be on Thursday at 10 p.m. at SM Mall of Asia Arena.Badolato, 74, passed away last Sunday due to heart failure.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/20/21/legendary-san-beda-coach-ato-badolato-passes-away">FULL STORY: Legendary San Beda coach Ato Badolato passes away</a></li></ul>Chooks-to-Go sports and marketing director Mel Macasaquit has a special connection with Badolato.&quot;He instilled the passion to help sports and produce quality basketball in me during my time in San Beda,&quot; said Macasaquit, a former Red Cub and Red Lion.&quot;Coach Ato was the one who discovered me when I was playing for the under-13 team in a tournament in Las Vegas a couple of decades ago. Of course, I accepted his invitation to join San Beda, eventually playing for the Team B of the school,&quot; he continued.&quot;We hope that through this award, the next generation of Filipino basketball players will get to know who Coach Ato was.&quot;Meanwhile, the league will give out its Group Stage Individual Awards on Wednesday evening in between the semis clash between Pasig Sta. Lucia-Basilan Jumbo Medical (7:30 p.m.) and Nueva Ecija-Imus Buracai de Laiya (10 p.m.). Awards set to be given are the Most Valuable Player, All-MPBL team, Defensive Player of the Tournament, and Sportsmanship Award.The top three candidates for tournament MVP are Bicol-LCC&#x27;s Mac Tallo (17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists/game), Nueva Ecija&#x27;s Michael Mabulac (13.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists), and Basilan-Jumbo Medical&#x27;s Michael Juico (19.0 points, 3.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals).Also in the running for the top individual award are Imus&#x27; Adi Santos, Iloilo&#x27;s Chito Jaime, Mindoro-EOG Burlington&#x27;s Jeramer Cabanag, Pasig-Sta. Lucia&#x27;s Fran Yu, and San Juan-GFG AICC&#x27;s Jason Melano.For the top defensive player award, the nominees are Caloocan&#x27;s Mon Mabayo (8.5 defensive rebounds, 2.0 blocks/game), Pasig-Sta. Lucia&#x27;s Justin Arana (5.0 defensive rebounds, 1.8 blocks), and Marikina&#x27;s Ato Ular (10.5 defensive rebounds).The awards will be based on votes from the commissioner&#x27;s office, stats group, and the members of the media covering the beat.

The MPBL will honor the legacy of legendary basketball coach Edmundo 'Ato' Badolato by naming its Coach of the Year award after him.